Updated April 21 

We will continue to update this page as new information comes in.

The health and welfare of our students, faculty and the Richmond/East Bay community is utmost on our minds during this time of the COVID-19 outbreak. We have been carefully monitoring the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Contra Costa Health Services updates and recommendations. 

East Bay Center has decided to close its main site beginning March 13. All East Bay Center concerts and events during this period have also been canceled. 

While the Center remains closed to in-person instruction and events, we are working to sustain continuity of care for the most impacted among our students and families – and in Richmond as a community. Read our most recent community newsletter here.

This is what we are doing: 

• Instruction: Our 65 faculty and 24 staff are actively and creatively delivering remote activities and instruction for all our current 3,500 local school children and our 500 main site students. As we adapt materials and technology, we are providing content to the local school district population of 32,000 students and 1,300 teachers. 

• Basic Needs: We remain focused on meeting our students basic needs, staying in contact, helping to connect needs with resources, providing mental and emotional health support, along with tutoring and academic assistance while schools remain closed. 

• Community Partnerships: We are working closely and assisting school district personnel to implement a task force with city, county, and local CBO partners to address the challenges of the schools' most vulnerable families. 

• Staff are available: All key Center staff members are equipped and set up to work remotely for as long as needed, ensuring that our operations continue uninterrupted.

• The big picture: We are keenly aware of how our community is experiencing increased  burdens of economic hardship and stress during the pandemic crisis. The Center is actively joining with local partners to address the challenge of underlying conditions and systemic inequities and we are resolved to get through this together.

Thank you for your support during this time. Throughout the days and weeks of this global outbreak, our community’s well-being is our number one concern. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Official Updates + Resources 

• West Contra Costa Unified School District Updates
• World Health Organization Updates
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• California Dept of Public Health
• City of Richmond Current Recommendations
• COVID-19 Bay Area Community Resources + Up-to-Date Health Information (English Version) / COVID-19 Recursos para la Comunidad del Área de la Bahía + Información actualizada sobre salud (Versión en Espanol)
• Department of Public Health COVID-19 FAQs




Key Center Program Contacts

Students, parents, and faculty, we encourage you to contact the following program staff with questions and concerns. 

To connect to our emergency fund please fill out this form.

Main Site Programs

For information about remote group classes, remote private lessons, ensembles, and student support services please contact:

• Director of Student Development and Training: Kwesi Anku: Kwesi@eastbaycenter.org l Cell: 415-652-4409
• Associate Director of Student Development and Training: Lolis Garcia, Lolis@eastbaycenter.org
• Student Support Services: Corinna Espino, Corinna.espino@eastbaycenter.org
• Private Lessons: Bryan Alvarez, Bryan.alvarez@eastbaycenter.org



School and Neighborhood Partnerships

East Bay Center is working with WCCUSD schools and the district office to provide virtual learning in the arts.  We are currently creating and sharing content for our in school music programs in six elementary schools that provides continuity for our 3,500 participating students, as well as developing resources to be shared with the greater WCCUSD student population. Faculty are creating video class materials for our students so they can continue their in-school and after school music and dance classes from home. We are also working with teachers to continue to integrate arts into their remote learning curriculum.

For more information, contact Andrea Landin, Director of School Partnerships: Andrea.landin@eastbaycenter.org

Interested in supporting our work during this critical time? 

We have begun an emergency fund for students and families facing immediate crisis.

DONATE NOW to support these students and families in need. 

For more information contact Sara Rader, Director of Corporate Engagement and Individual Giving: Sara.rader@eastbaycenter.org.